(Un)Diverse: Where are all the Black teachers?
Join us in this public forum to explore why the teachers leading our classrooms fail to reflect the diversity of the students they serve and the impact this has on diverse student populations. Understanding that diversity is not monolithic, this forum will address the Black experience in the classroom as students, teachers, and pre-service teachers.
Sessions will speak to the relationship between student outcomes and student exposure to diverse educators, the available data on teacher diversity, the experience of Black students with predominantly white teachers, the experience of Black student teachers, and more broadly, the appeal of the teaching profession to the Black community.
Date: March 31, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (MT)
Location: White Buffalo Lodge, (EDT 314), Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary
REGISTRATION CLOSED
Agenda
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Snacks & Networking
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM: Land Acknowledgement
9:45 AM – 10:00 AM: Opening Remarks, Dr. Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn (EDI Director), Werklund School of Education
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM: Keynote Adress, Courtney Walcott (Educator, Community Advocate, Founder & Consultant Civic Society)
10:45 AM – 11:30: Presentation, Dr. Fouzia Usman (Educational Developer- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary & Dr. Sonia Aujla Bhullar (Educator, Consultant)
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Fireside Chat
About the facilitators
Courtney Walcott is an award-winning educator, community advocate, and consultant that works in the field of youth civic engagement, human rights advocacy, strategic planning, and governance. Courtney is also a former elected official, having served as a Councillor in the City of Calgary.
Born and raised in Calgary, Matt Sauer taught High School ELA for 13 years and for the past 5, has worked as a Consultant for Racial Justice-Equity-Diversity-Inclusion with the Calgary Catholic School District. His father of German descent was also born in Calgary while his mother moved to Calgary with her family from Trinidad. A Co-founder and Board Member of the Black Teachers Association of Alberta and active community member, Matt remains committed to amplifying voices and creating spaces for all people, focusing on representation and inclusion, specifically as it pertains to Education.
Dr. Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn is an Associate Professor in Counselling Psychology and the Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Werklund School of Education. Originally from Curitiba, Brazil, Elisa is a Freirian scholar, guided by principles of liberation and decoloniality. She works with national and international communities in Brazil, Canada, and Aotearoa/ New Zealand through on research and projects related to self-determination of child welfare, mental health, youth justice, and education.